by Adam Gault
Older than Canada itself, the 159th Comber Fair proved, once again, why it’s one of Essex County’s great institutions this past weekend. Crowds descended on the Lakeshore-area fairgrounds to enjoy the annual celebration, highlighting local agriculture, musical entertainment, and its one-of-a-kind carnival amusements and midway.
The fair’s official opening was hosted last Friday evening. Several dignitaries, from various levels of government, along with representatives of other local groups, kicked off the fun filled weekend that is a prime example of the small-town spirit and values that can be found in communities like Comber, and all across the greater Essex County.
“159 years, you know, that’s older than Confederation,” Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls said, speaking to the fair’s longevity. “You’ve gone through World Wars, you’ve gone through depressions, but here we are, year number 159, with many more to come.”
Lakeshore Mayor, Tom Bain, also spoke during the fair’s opening, thanking all the volunteers involved in the organization and operation of the fair, ensuring that the three-day event is one that is enjoyed and embraced by everyone who has had the opportunity to visit the long-standing event.
“Comber has a tremendous amount of volunteers that come forward year-after-year-after-year, and make this the success that it is,” Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain said. “Congratulations to all you volunteers, great job. [I’m] looking forward to a better-than-ever Comber Fair.”
In a prepared statement prior to the official opening, Comber Fair President Ron Reaume explained the fair was a once a year opportunity to renew friendships throughout the community, make new connections, and experience the community’s creativity and perseverance through the multitude of homemade baked goods, quilts, crafts, and award-winning farm animals and crops brought onsite for the occasion.
Over the course of the three-day festival, visitors to the venerated community fair took in an incredibly diverse amount of entertainment and shows that provided a little something for everyone during the weekend’s clear weather, which broke a trend of downpours that had been experienced at the fair during the last several years.
From the annual Miss Comber Fair pageant, midway carnival rides, demolition derby, the ever-popular beer tent, and a plethora a musical tributes encompassing all genres, the 2018 Comber Fair is one that will not soon be forgotten.